Dreaming of a motorcycle trip to distant climes? This section will help you to plan your trip, whether it's to the next state, country or all the way around the world! Start here!
The Achievable Dream 5-part series - the definitive video guide for planning your motorcycle adventure. Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
You could just get on a plane with your credit card and passport and buy or rent everything you need when you get there. That includes the bike, riding gear, etc. etc.
Gear Up! is a 2-DVD set, 6 hours! Which bike is right for me? How do I prepare the bike? What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers! "will save you a fortune!"See the trailer here!
So you've done it - got inspired, planned your trip, packed your stuff and you're on the road! This section is about staying healthy, happy and secure on your motorcycle adventure. And crossing borders, war zones or oceans!
On the Road! is 5.5 hours of the tips and advice you need to cross borders, break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Tire Changing!Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
With an HU blog, you'll get a lot more readers than in some obscure corner of the web, it's all set to go, no setup required, and it's free! Start your Travel Story Blog right now!
800+ HU Communities in over 115 countries! People who want to meet travellers - yes that's YOU - and can provide local assistance, and may be your new best friends!
Make a DifferenceTips on fundraising or donating time and energy to a cause.
After the big trip - Was the trip the best - or worst - thing you ever did?
Resources and Links
Horizons Unlimited Presents!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
"It has me all fired up to go out on my own adventure!" See the trailer here!
Meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or across Asia! They will encourage you, share their experiences and advice on how to do it!
We're not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown a hobby into a full time job and a labour of love.
When you decide to become a Member, it helps directly support the site. You get additional privileges on the HUBB, access to the Members Private Store, and more. Of course, you get our sincere thanks, good karma and knowing you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. :-)
All contributions are gratefully appreciated and acknowledged.
T-shirts, Calendars, Stickers
T-shirts Cotton or synth sweat-wicking t-shirts with the cool Horizons Unlimited graphic on the front and a snappy slogan (changing every year) on the back.
Calendars Featuring the 13 winning photos from the Horizons Unlimited annual motorcycle travel photo contest!
World Map Sticker for PanniersShow your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
Travel BooksMotorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
Videos - Watch and Learn!
Horizons Unlimited presents!
Achievable Dream The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
"The series is 'free' because the tips and advice will save much more than you spend on buying the DVD's."
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We reach a dedicated, worldwide group of real travellers, and are the only website focusing exclusively on long distance motorcycle travellers.
If you sell motorcycles or motorcycle accessories, riding gear, camping equipment and clothing, transport motorcycles, organize motorcycle tours, or have motorcycles to rent, you should be advertising with us!
Ride TalesPost your ride reports for a weekend ride or around the world. Please make the first words of the title WHERE the ride is. Please do NOT just post a link to your site. For a link, see Get a Link.
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G'day Paul,
Enjoying reading about your travels and adventures mate. Your photo's are wetting my appetite to travel the top end. Safe travels and keep the updates coming!
I stayed for two nights at Mataranka to rest up and experience some wildlife
then packed up camp and decided to spend the day at Bitter Springs, another spring within the same river system and same National Park, but a little further north of Mataranka.
After some relaxing meditation and chillout time in the water, I walked back to the bike and cooked up some pasta for lunch.
It is the wet season but the sky looked like this.
This is where I met Steve and Jo, and their six kids. The youngest was adopted from the Philippines. They had been travelling around Australia from Tasmania since August, in much the same manner I was. Find a place, stay, do the activities then move to another place. They home-schooled the kids and I don’t think I have met a family that is so close. They would all stand around to tell a story of a place they had been on the trip, and five of them would fill in bits of the story as they went. It was like how twins finish each others’ sentences, but this was the whole family doing it.
We hung out for a while, Steve was a really interesting guy who built strawbale houses and a range of other things.
At the end of the day I said my farewells and headed down to the camping area in the National Park and told them that I had found the Mataranka Homestead a bit expensive for a patch of mud and no power. No sooner had I set up the tent and in came the van, making us the only campers in what ended up being a very large and extensive camping area.
We ate together and chatted about travel and bikes and travel again. The sleeping setup in the van was amazing with kids sharing single bunks and beds placed in the tightest of places. But these kids, ranging from 15 to 2yrs, were all happy and helpful to each other. Their behavior and maturity really impressed me.
Hi faithful readers. Just to let you know that this trip has now finished and I am in Brisbane, but I'm working at posting the whole story as I can get Internet access.
Over Breakfast, Steve and Jo said they were going to visit the waterfall, a four kilometre bushwalk. Without hesitation all the kids donned their hiking shoes, water packs and off we went. It was really hot again, approaching 40C, and these kids just went along without complaint, the older ones waiting for and helping the younger ones.
Not exactly the biggest falls on the planet!
Steve told me about the things he had done with his kids such as white water rafting, canoeing, hiking into the mountains in Tasmania, camping in the snow, various swimming holes. It seems that there was nothing he wouldn’t take the kids to do, if he could do it, he’d take the six kids and they would all help each other get there. It was a different type of parenting that I wasn’t accustomed to but couldn’t help be impressed by. Their cohesiveness as a family was rock solid.
After a photo shoot around Ziggy, we said our farewells and as I headed south, they headed north. Farewell lovely people. Travel safe.
It was hot. After the walk I didn’t leave until nearly 1pm, so I stopped back at Mataranka for a cold drink and a fruit salad to fuel me up a bit. The temperature gauge hit 43.5C at one point and hovered between 41 and 43. Seriously hot riding and I felt quite tired today.
I arrived at the town of Daly River and pulled into the caravan park near where I planned to turn off the main highway for a while. I walked into the cool office/bar/restaurant and asked for their prices.
BIG day in the saddle. At just before 7am I took the road to Borooloola but was undecided as to whether I would go all the way and head up to the coast and camp or turn right at Cape Crawford towards Barkly Homestead.
The road looked like this
I stopped at a rest area and practiced a Tiffany type self with my camera on the helmet on the ground
Via Borooloola would cut of over 500kms, but a combination of 250kms of dirt, numerous river crossings, back still giving me pain, overloaded and recent rains, all contributed to my decision, that I made eating lunch at the Heartbreak. I opted to go straight to Barkly Homestead and do some long miles.
I set off at 1pm, fuelled up body and bike – at a price -
to take on the thin red line on my map. Not much choice paying those prices
The road looked like this.
Some hundred or so kilometres into it, I had a rest…I wasn’t the first!
Not everyone makes it.
Thanks for the warning, I think it’s wandering stock!
Note to self. It appears that if a Hema map indicates that there is nothing there, there is nothing there.
Did I mention the number of times I stopped for crossing cattle, for trucks coming the other way, and that the road had a patchwork surface that was often raised in the middle where the trucks had sunk it on either side of centre.
Did I mention the trucks?
At the Barkly Homestead I was too tired to take a photo after 650kms…until I saw this on the wall in the bar!
I'd love to know where to get a little winch like that, even given its shortcomings. I cannot lift my bike either, due to "great age and decrepitude" and the results of trying to fly an aeroplane through a tree years ago. (Hint: don't try this at home..)
Dave Barr, the epic legless RTW biker, used an electric winch mounted on his crash bars to complete his "Southern Cross Tour", a few years ago, but I'd rather not have the weight or expense.
Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's thelist of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now, and add your information if we didn't find you.
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers!
break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
Cotton or synth sweat-wicking t-shirts with the cool Horizons Unlimited graphic on the front and a snappy slogan (changing every year) on the back.
Show your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
Motorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
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